For the less fortunate, slightly younger Bills fans

[Cugalabanza]

Awesome! Thank you, Senator.

 

Kinda makes me wanna shop for a Talley jersey.

[folz]

A cold, winter afternoon in Western New York...dark, gray, with skeletal trees;

A light flurry falling atop the mountains of snow already piled up on the edges of the parking lot;

Beer-battered, rabid Bills fans bundled in red, white, and blue as far as the eye can see;

The camaraderie swelling around the garbage can fires and grills as would-be

footballers sprint down the rows of cars going out for a bomb;

Van Miller's voice hanging faintly in the air from all directions as car radios

tune in to the pregame show;

And the electricity that can be palpably felt can mean only one thing...

Buffalo Bills playoff football! Where would you rather be...

 

I guess Senator's post made me a bit nostalgic...and a little homesick on the eve of opening day.

I was at that game too...That team was amazing, a well-oiled, unstoppable machine that day.

 

And now? Who knows, but, opening day is here, a new season, new hope, let's go out and squish some fish...

and everyone going to the game tomorrow "Shout" twice as loud for all of us that can't be there!

 

Go Bills!

[Pete]

That was the last game I saw at the Ralph. I made the trip from CT with a cutie and showed her all around my old home town. What a game! That team was awesome on offense, defense, and special teams!

[The Senator]

I knew what this was before I opened it. I used to work with a Raiders fan and would simply mention that game to shut him up.

But you also know there are many other example of Bills dominance from that era - I guess I could have cited

 

1988 - 24-3 over the Bears, 28-0 over Green Bay, 31-6 over Miami

1989 - 34-3 over the Jets, 30-7 over Indy, 37-0 over the Jets (poor New Jersey )

1990 - 30-7 over the Jets (again), 42-0 over Cleveland, 45-14 over Phoenix, 31-7 over Indy

1991 - 35-7 over Indy (again)

1992 - 40-7 over the Rams, 38-0 over the Colts (freakin' Indy must have HATED the Bills by then), 41-7 over NE*, 37-10 over Miami, 20-3 over the Raiders (I'm sure they hated us too), 27-3 over Houston (a precursor to the Bills 'Greatest Comeback in NFL History against the same Houston Oilers in the Wildcard playoff game the following week) and - one of my personal favorites - 41-14 over the a-hole Jerry Glanville's Atlanta Falcons (I still remember Deon Sanders hot-doggin' it, thinking he was such a big deal, holding his head and high-stepping into the endzone as he returned a late INT for a meaningless TD, making the final score seem only slightly less lopsided than the game actually was).

 

Wow - 1992 really was a great season. And I remember, after we lost the Superbowl that season (our 3rd) I bought a t-shirt that read

 

In Buffalo, Superbowls are our hobby - see you next year in Joe Robbie!

 

That's how confident we were in our team back then and, sure enough, the following season the Bills again represented the AFC in Superbowl XXVIII at Joe Robbie Stadium!

 

It's our time again. I feel it.

 

I had just turned 12 years old a few weeks before this game. 1990 was the first year I started really becomming interested in the Bills. I grew up in Southern California, but my family is all from Lakawanna (hence the Bills backing). After this game my dad and I went out to celebrate and we stopped to get gas. The gas station atendant refused to serve us becasue we were wearing Bills hats and he was a Raiders fan! To this day, I still remember that and laugh. Thank you for posting this,it brings back some good memories. Hopefully, this year will get some other young kids out there excited about Bills football and they can learn what it is to be a true fan and be a part of a community.....Even if that community is 3,000 miles away.

That's hysterical. One of the other things that made that game so sweet, besides being winning the AFC title and our first trip to the Superbowl, is that we had beaten the Raiders pretty convincingly, 38-14, in early October that season and man, were they ever talking trash about coming back to avenge that loss.

 

How efficient and big time was Kelly. Watching the steely-calm expressions of Marv on the sideline, it reminded me of the more recent Tony Dungy when he was in Indy and had the machine-like precision of Peyton Manning running the show. Nothing to worry about.

You do realize that Tony Dungy is a descendant of the LOU SABAN coaching 'tree', which has produced 3 Superbowl winning coaches - Bill Cowher, Tony Dungy, and Mike Tomlin.

 

Another descendant of the Lou Saban coaching 'tree' is none other than...

 

Chan Gailey

 

I believe we were favored by 4 points

I guess we covered!

 

 

Time for this team to return to its rightful place atop the AFC East, then the AFC, and then it's on to Dallas and let's win there!

Edited September 11, 2010 by The Senator

[Blaise321]

Great video! Thanks for posting. The Bills winning that game to go their first Super Bowl was truly one of the greatest days ever in Buffalo...I remember not being able to sleep that night.

[nucci]

But you also know there are many other example of Bills dominance from that era - I guess I could have cited

 

1988 - 24-3 over the Bears, 28-0 over Green Bay, 31-6 over Miami

1989 - 34-3 over the Jets, 30-7 over Indy, 37-0 over the Jets (poor New Jersey )

1990 - 30-7 over the Jets (again), 42-0 over Cleveland, 45-14 over Phoenix, 31-7 over Indy

1991 - 35-7 over Indy (again)

1992 - 40-7 over the Rams, 38-0 over the Colts (freakin' Indy must have HATED the Bills by then), 41-7 over NE*, 37-10 over Miami, 20-3 over the Raiders (I'm sure they hated us too), 27-3 over Houston (a precursor to the Bills 'Greatest Comeback in NFL History against the same Houston Oilers in the Wildcard playoff game the following week) and - one of my personal favorites - 41-14 over the a-hole Jerry Glanville's Atlanta Falcons (I still remember Deon Sanders hot-doggin' it, thinking he was such a big deal, holding his head and high-stepping into the endzone as he returned a late INT for a meaningless TD, making the final score seem only slightly less lopsided than the game actually was).

 

Wow - 1992 really was a great season. And I remember, after we lost the Superbowl that season (our 3rd) I bought a t-shirt that read

 

In Buffalo, Superbowls are our hobby - see you next year in Joe Robbie!

 

That's how confident we were in our team back then and, sure enough, the following season the Bills again represented the AFC in Superbowl XXVIII at Joe Robbie Stadium!

 

It's our time again. I feel it.

 

 

That's hysterical. One of the other things that made that game so sweet, besides being winning the AFC title and our first trip to the Superbowl, is that we had beaten the Raiders pretty convincingly, 38-14, in early October that season and man, were they ever talking trash about coming back to avenge that loss.

 

 

You do realize that Tony Dungy is a descendant of the LOU SABAN coaching 'tree', which has produced 3 Superbowl winning coaches - Bill Cowher, Tony Dungy, and Mike Tomlin.

 

Another descendant of the Lou Saban coaching 'tree' is none other than...

 

Chan Gailey

 

 

I guess we covered!

 

 

Time for this team to return to its rightful place atop the AFC East, then the AFC, and then it's on to Dallas and let's win there!

in 1988 Bills lost to Bears 24-3.

[The Dean]

...and also for some of us older fans who have become a bit jaded and cynical during a 10-year playoff drought, I give you

 

The AFC Championship Game-Jan, 20, 1991

 

youtube.com/watch?v=I57EZLhJn7g

 

 

I remember being in the upper deck that late January day, typical OP wind a-blowin', and yet not feeling the least bit cold.

 

 

I reading this thinking "upper deck"? You were drunker than I remember.

 

Then it hits me, I wasn't at the game with you. I was with our physician. I think I am currently drunker than I think I was...or something.

 

The rest was spot on, of course.

 

Go Buckeyes!

[The Senator]

in 1988 Bills lost to Bears 24-3.

 

(That's not how I remember it! )

[stevestojan]

Judging by the responses to this thread, there were at least 450,000 people in the stadium that day.

[The Senator]

I reading this thinking "upper deck"? You were drunker than I remember.

 

Then it hits me, I wasn't at the game with you. I was with our physician. I think I am currently drunker than I think I was...or something.

 

The rest was spot on, of course.

 

Go Buckeyes!

Yes, and I was with TW - he offered me his future ex-wife's seat, which I gladly accepted. Perhaps that is why she's now his ex-wife!

 

BTW - tonite's the beginning of a new era in college football broadcasting, one that's sure to be entertaining...

 

College Football: Top 10 Things Mike Leach Might Say on CBS

Edited September 11, 2010 by The Senator

[Pete]

Judging by the responses to this thread, there were at least 450,000 people in the stadium that day.

29 responses = 450,000?

[Max Fischer]

Still can't believe they lost the SB.

[Fezmid]

Maybe I'm the bad luck? We haven't won a damn thing since I've starting following the Bills.

Only one way to find out... We're going to have to kill you.

 

I have this game on DVD and I still dust it off every now and then. Even when we made mistakes (Kelly fumble), we still turned it into something awesome...

 

I want those days again.

[stevestojan]

29 responses = 450,000?

 

Yeah, that's what I meant.

[The Senator]

Now now...civility please...

 

GO BILLSSS!!!!

[stevestojan]

Now now...civility please...

 

GO BILLSSS!!!!

you're right. sorry pete.

 

what i meant was it seems like everyone who responded was there. Just seems like a high %, that's all.

[Red]

Judging by the responses to this thread, there were at least 450,000 people in the stadium that day.

 

I still have my ticket, if it helps....

[Saudi Arabia Rob]

...and also for some of us older fans who have become a bit jaded and cynical during a 10-year playoff drought, I give you

 

The AFC Championship Game-Jan, 20, 1991

 

 

I remember being in the upper deck that late January day, typical OP wind a-blowin', and yet not feeling the least bit cold.

 

Art Shell, OTOH, had to be freezing down there on the sidelines - I believe the Bills no-huddle so confounded the Raiders that he was forced to call a time out on Buffalo's first drive!

 

What a glorious time it was. There were four future NFL HOFers on the field for Buffalo that day (Kelly, Thomas, Lofton, Smith) and another on the sidelines (the silver-haired guy with the headphones). That team made a run at 6 consecutive AFC titles, winning 4 (were it not for Ronnie Harmon, who knows how many consecutive Superbowls we might have played) and was arguably the very best team in football for at least 3 of those seasons.

 

(It should be noted that 'Desert Storm' - the first Gulf War - started only 4 days earlier, which the announcers referred to when they mentioned the bad news from the Middle East. The following week Superbowl XXV was broadcast to our troops in Iraq, who saw the first of 4 consecutive Buffalo Bills Superbowl appearances.)

 

Just thought I'd put it up here for the younger fans - some of whom know Steve Tasker only as a West Herr pitchman - to quell some of the negativity as the new season begins. The beginning of a new season SHOULD be full of hope, anticipation, and excitement. As Marv Levy once said to me, standing at the adjacent urinal in the RWS press box men's room, "Here we go again!"

 

Things can only get better from here - it's going to be a GREAT season...

 

19 and 0 baby!!!

 

GO BILLSSS!!!!

 

PosLUSZny!!!!!

 

I've still got a DVD copy of that game and once in a while put it on to remember the good old days.

 

Another trip down memory lane from that year:

 

In some ways, the game before that, the Miami game, was more interesting. I was at the game, it had snow, Kelly just coming back from the knee injury, the Gulf War getting ready to kick off, and it was the first home playoff game since I think one against Pittsburgh in the OJ era. They had banned all alcohol sales, greased up the goal posts which resulted in many folks sneaking in hard liquor which only made things worse. I remember at the end of the game, some idiotic Raiders fan taking off a jacket to expose a Raiders shirt and him just getting belted with wet snowballs. Security actually removed him from the game, not the fans.

[lets_go_bills]

Those were special times. And that was a special team.

[Cal Bill's Fan]

Nice to remember how good Thurman was. And Lofton getting a second shot at stardom with the Bills.